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JIvAtmA during Heart Surgery

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Anand K Karalapakkam • January 23, 1998 


                                  Sri :
          
             Srimate  Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha
  
             Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka - 
         Srivan  Shatagopa  Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha      
             
                  Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha 
                  Srimate  Bhagavad   RAmAnujAya  Namaha      
                 
                    Sriyai Namaha ; SridharAya  Namaha


     Dear  Bhakti Group Members ,
    
     Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyens pranAmams. 


On Wed, 21 Jan 1998, Parthasarati Dileepan wrote:

> Thanks to the many posts and private correspondences on
> this topic, my own faith is on a firmer footing now than
> before.
> 

   Thanks a lot to Sri Dileepan SwAmi for initiating the topic regarding
Faith & also to others who shared their views. Personally , adiyens faith
in sAstrAs/AchAryA/NArAyanA has increased hundred folds after the
discussion & it is clearly reflected in the Nithya Bhagavad Thiru
ArAdhanam.




> Let me introduce another interesting question somewhat
> related to this topic.  This question appeared in the last
> issue of Sri Nrisimha Priya.  A rough translation of the
> question is as follows:
> 
>      "All Sidhdhaanthees agree that the Jeevaathma
>      resides in a space inside our heart.  In these modern
>      times we hear of heart surgeries when the heart is
>      even temporarily taken out of the body and later put
>      back.  The patient cured of the heart ailment goes on
>      to live for many years.  When the heart is operated
>      upon in this fashion, where does the Jeeva reside? 
>      Does he reside in the heart or somewhere else in the
>      body?"
> 

   This very same topic arose during the 'Sathas' organised to
discuss on Sri BhAsyA , an year ago { Abhinava Desikan Sri UttamUr SwAmIs
centennary celebration }.

   Leading vidwAns of our sampradAyam was assembled there . Unfortunately
adiyen couldn't understand head or tail of their discussion since everyone
was conversing in fluent Sanskrit. 

   
      But , Sri Koththimangalam VaradAchArya SwAmI of Mysore was quoting
from Yoga sAstrAs to answer this question.In a brief conversation with the
AchAryA after the Sathas , he told that ( trusting on adiyens memory) "
There are specific places in the body to which the JIvAtmA travels. Its
not that it is fixed rigidly at the heart. Yoga sAstrAs discusses these
things. ". Adiyen also remember him telling that JIvAtmA stays at the top
of the head even during some of our daily activities like sleeping etc.
Adiyen has two questions here  :

 1. whether the jIvAtmA would move out of the heart  everytime we sleep ?

 2. Whether top of the head is the only other permanant residence for it ? 



    Adiyen knows only this much. If someone could contact him , he will
bless us with perfect answer . BTW adiyen also wants to know whether
someone from Sanskrit Academy , Melkote subscribes to  the bhakti list.



> The answer by the Sampaadhagar runs into couple of pages
> with several long quotations from Sri Bhashya.  The
> following is a jist of it.
> 
>      "Your question is a valid one.  It must be answered
>      in a way consistent with the sasthraas.  In my
>      opinion the Jeeva moves to a different location.  In
>      our sidhdhaatham, Jeevas are not just Jyana
>      swaroopi, but also jyaathaa, i.e. one who possesses
>      knowledge.  PrasnOpashad says" Esh Hi srOthaa,
>      dhraathaa, rasayithaa, manthaa, bOdhdhaa, karthaa,
>      vigyaan aathmaa purusha:."  Thus, the jeeva knows
>      of the impending surgery and removes himself from
>      the heart.  There may be an objection about the
>      Jeevaa's ability to travel out of the heart.  But there
>      are references from Sri Bhashyam to indicate that
>      the Jeeva travels outside the heart during "svaapa
>      dhasai", "svapna dhasai", and "uthkraanthi
>      dhasai".  Therefore, we can definitely say that the
>      Jeeva ventures out of the heart to another location in
>      the body during the surgery."
> 
> The above question and the answer may be extended to heart
> transplants, artificial heart implants, etc.
> 
> 
> -- adiyEn

 1.  Adiyen doesn't know much about the medical jargons addressed .If
someone could just tell what they exactly mean in a line or so , it will
be helpful for further discussions.

 2.  Then , someone can explain why the possibility of JIvAtmA staying in
the heart during these surgeries etc  is rejected ( which should be
consistent with all the medical stuffs cited).

 3. Once this is done , the answer to be found : "Where exactly the
JIvAtmA is ? " or "What are the possible locations to which the JIvAtmA
shifts ? ".

 4. What happens to our dear Lord Sriman NArAyanA who is residing in the
same heart as "HArdan" ( "AntaryAmi roopam")? Does He travel alongwith
JIvAtmA ?

 5. Is it actually that our dear "AntaryAmi roopam" NArAyanA makes
arrangement for JIvAtmAs travel or Is it JIvAtmAs own decision ? 


  A  Note : AntaryAmi Roopam is one among the five forms NArAyanA
takes ( parA , VyUhA, VibhavA , AntaryAmi roopam , ArchA). In the 
"AntaryAmi roopam" form ,NArAyanA has divine body , ornaments, Sankhu ,
Chakram etc. Needless to say , pirAtti is also there. He is the one
meditated upon by some of the YogIs resorting to Bhakti Yogam.MAnasIka
ArAdhanam is performed to Him only.

    AntaryAmi is different from AntaryAmi roopam . But, very often ,
"AntaryAmi roopam" is referred to as "AntaryAmi" itself. This actually
creates confusion ( atleast adiyen was confused before. But the brilliant
writings of adiyens AchAryA ,the current H.H. Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt
eradicated these confusions. In His "Srimad Rahasya Traya SAram" series , 
He has discussed these things very lucidly ).

    AntaryAmi, the one who controls both Sentient & Insentient things from
within ,mainly refers to NArAyana Swaroopam ( Sathyam , Jn~Anam , Anantam
,Amalam, Anandam(Bliss) ).

    NArAyanA has form, auspicious qualities , etc. One shouldn't again get
confused that Swaroopam as such is what Brahman ( NArAyanA ) is . Sum
total of everything ( Swaroopam + Form + Auspicious Qualities + ...) is
NArAyanA . If one has to tell what a Cow is , a unique feature of it is
outlined first . Then all other details like tail,mouth etc are told. But
, the Sum total is the Cow . Similarly , NArAyana Swaroopam refers to the
Unique feature of NArAyanA . But it is NOT a complete description of
NArAyanA.


      One may be puzzled about the fact that eventhough both JIvAtmA &
NArAyanA as AntaryAmi Roopam resides at the heart , one is not able to see
them during the Heart Surgery , etc. Actually , our observation
(PratyakshA) is due to our eyes. Eye as a sense organ is something
material in nature. It has capacity to perceive something material in
nature & that too with lot of limitations. It certainly doesn't have the
access to see Spiritual entities. Moreover , JIvAtmAs material dimension
cannot be visualized . We only know that it is atomic (very small).There
is no question on NArAyanA the "mAyan". 

   The only way to see JIvAtmA is "Jn~Ana YogA". The only way to see the
AntaryAmi roopam is "Bhakti YogA" . To see Spiritual entities , only a
spiritual process will work. 
    

   Namo NArAyanA

   Adiyen

   Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan  


                      Sarvam  Sri KrishnArpanamastu